G2 vs G1: 1-4

At the beginning of the season, we were all complaining that it was impossible to see the painted lines under the ice at Belmont; well, we got slapped upside the helmets with some karma last night. The lines were amazingly easy to see. We had no problems seeing the lines. This is because there was no actual ICE at Belmont last night. As a defenseman, I was entertaining myself waiting for faceoffs by splashing my stick through the puddles on the blue line and making waves ripple towards Jan, my D partner.

Despite not having had the foresight to bring a snorkel and flippers, I had a great time in the game.

Jan and I were a good D line; she gave me some really useful and welcome positioning advice that came in handy many times. For example, I knew to stay up at the blue line to try to keep the puck in the zone when our team was in the offensive zone. What Jan suggested, though, was to stay right up at the blue line when the puck was on my side of the rink; when it was on Jan’s side, though, I should fall back to about the center face-off circle. That way, if the puck squirted by her, I was close enough to intercept it yet far enough back so that it wouldn’t squirt by me, too. It worked really well! Thanks, Jan!

I spent most of the evening sitting on Cree, one of G1’s wings who is fortunately (for me) also a really fun person. We got tangled up behind the net once and couldn’t stop laughing. After the game was over, one of the girls told me that I had been slashing Cree (using my stick to hold her stick down), which was totally unintentional. Well, I mean, I was intentionally trying to get in her way and take back the puck, but I didn’t mean to be doing something “wrong”. Now I know.

There are a lot of rules like that that I’m still learning. When I can lean my shoulder into someone, when I can block someone, when I can lift their stick, what’s tripping versus lifting the stick, that sort of thing. I can’t usually do this stuff at Ice Oasis because the play moves too quickly (“hey, come back here so I can lean on you!”), but it’s rarely called at NCWHL unless it’s really blatant. So I’m never quite sure if I’m playing good D or being a goon. *scratches head* If any of the three of you reading this are ever at a game of mine, feedback is very welcome!

Oh, but I can’t feel TOO badly for slashing Cree, because her team did whup our butts, and I know she scored at least one of the goals. 😉 😉

Our one goal was by the amazing Melanie, and I had the assist! Huzzah!

Dana (our coach) said she wants to try playing me at center on Tuesday. I’ll need some positioning coaching for sure…and I’ll be sure to bring the snorkel this time.

3 Responses to G2 vs G1: 1-4

>slashing Cree (using my stick to hold her stick down)
Huh, that’s an interesting definition of slashing. I’ve always seen it defined, or at least enforced, as essentially using your stick to dismember your opponent. Or more literally, to strike your opponent with your stick, or swing your stick at them with that intention. Stick on stick action was pretty much allowed in the leagues I’m familiar with, as long you didn’t take a giant axe swing down on it, or “impede” their progress too much, or something like that.

After talking to Andrea today, I think that what I was doing was legal (holding her stick down). I think the girl at the rink was talking about the “giant axe swing down on it” definition of slashing…but I wasn’t really doing that.
And I wonder why I’m confused!

The best holding someone’s stick down could be called is interference. But there are a lot of people out there who have awfully interesting versions of what definitions of the rules are. If you’re interested, I *might* still have my AHOC stuff floating about and I can dig it out for you when I get back. But to the best of my knowledge, neither NCWHL nor IO use AHOC unless they started after I quit, so YMMV. Also there should be a printed rule book given to you for either league if they are part of USA Hockey.